A few years ago, Volkswagen kicked off a marketing campaign centered on two TV ads designed to shock viewers. In one ad, the TV viewer seems to be inside a Jetta as the driver chats with a passenger. Suddenly, a truck crashes into the car so severely that air bags inflate and the passenger's head is thrust into the airbag. In the other ad, the perspective is again from inside the Jetta as two couples discuss a movie, and again a truck suddenly comes crashing into the car. Viewers see the passengers shaken up, but uninjured. Each ad ends with "Safe Happens" flashing onto the screen.
The impetus for the campaign was the 2006 Jetta's top scores in federal crash tests. The crashes were real, with stunt actors inside the cars. According to Volkswagen, the outcome of the campaign was positive, with the ads causing consumers to get more interested in buying a Jetta.
The ads caused many consumers to do something else, too. Some contacted Volkswagen to ask if any of the actors were actually injured. These people were worried. And some consumers flocked to a website set up by Volkswagen as part of the campaign. On the website, people could recreate or customize their own crash. These consumers were fascinated.
Those two reactions are quite different. Still, I would not be at all surprised if a number of the people who found out the actors were okay would end up playing the online crash game, and some of those who played the game repeatedly would start wondering if the actors came out of the crashes safe and sound.
Shocking ads can pay off. Two tips: First, be sure the cause for the shock is justified. Second, give viewers of the ads ways to feel good after the shock.
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